Ludhiana rape 8212; Alleged victim does a volte-face

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 17: Claiming to have been pressurised'' into naming Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurdev Sing Badal's son Suba Singh in ...

CHANDIGARH, SEPT 17: Claiming to have been 8220;pressurised8221; into naming Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurdev Sing Badal8217;s son Suba Singh in the rape case, the 8220;victim8221; on Wednesday said that her earlier statement before the magistrate had been 8220;tutored8221;. 8220;No person by the name of Suba Singh ever came into her contact,8221; her counsel stated before the Punjab and Haryana High Court here.

In her petition seeking adequate security8217;, the alleged rape victim stated that three to four persons, including two with leader like looks, pressurised her and her father into naming Suba Singh, promising her 8220;a lot of money, sufficient for her marriage and settlement.8221;

Her counsel Puran Singh Hundal added that 8220;the atmosphere was surcharged to such an extent that the petitioner made the statement tutored to her by those two leader type persons.8221;

Taking up her petition, Justice T H B Chalapathi of the High Court issued notice to the Punjab Public Prosecutor for October 4.

The counsel, meanwhile, added that thepersons had come over to her house on August 20, three days before her statement was to be recorded. Threatening her with dire consequences, they had told the petitioner that her 8220;sex scandal8221; would be published in all the local newspapers if she refused to go to the courts with them, he stated. On way to the Ludhiana district courts, the petitioner was again 8220;intimidated8221;, he added.

Claiming to have 8220;felt ashamed in the heart of her heart8221; for naming Suba Singh, the counsel stated that 8220;in order to clear her conscience8221;, the petitioner filed an application mentioning therein that she was pressurised to name Suba Singh, son of Gurdev Singh, as her ravisher and, therefore, he may not be read as an accused having committed rape on the petitioner as given in her statement8221;. He also stated that the petitioner was, however, stopped from going to the courts as on August 27 her father8217;s house was gheraeod 8220;by a large number of people including women folk, raising slogans against the Punjabpolice.8221;

The mob, he added, was being led by 8220;those to politician type gentlemen8221;. The counsel further stated that since then, several visitors have been pressurising her to stick to her statement, 8220;whereas the truth is that no person by the name of Suba Singh ever came into contact with the petitioner, and therefore, there was no question of the commission of rape upon the petitioner by him.8221;

Story continues below this ad

Going into the background of the case, the counsel stated that the alleged victim had accompanied four persons to various places including Haldwani in Uttar Pradesh after she was 8220;promised green pastures8221;.